Combination billfold, purse, and pocket case



Feb. 4, 1964 w. H. ST. THOMAS 3,120,253

COMBINATION BILLFOLD, PURSE, AND POCKET CASE Filed April 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS F 1954 w. H. ST. THOMAS COMBINATION BILLFOLD, PURSE, AND POCKET CASE Filed April 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,129,253 CGMBINATION BELFOLD, PURSE, AND POCKET CASE William H. St. Thomas, 1 Hamilton St., Gioversville, N.Y. Filed Apr. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 139,171 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 15935) This invention relates to pocketbooks and has more particular reference to pocketbooks of the combination purse and billfold type.

One object of the present invention is to provide a combination purse and billfold wherein access may be had to the billfold pocket and the purse pocket without unfolding the billfold, wherein access may be had to the purse pocket and/or the billfold pocket independently of each other, and wherein means are provided on the outer wall of the pocketbook, on the end portion opposite the mouth of the pocketbook for holding a pass case.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination purse and billfold, as charcterized above, wherein the pass case is mounted on the pocketbook adjacent the mouth end of the purse and billfold compartments when the billfold is in folded position and so positioned that the pass case may be opened to display its contents while the combination purse and billfold is in folded position without disturbing the opening to the purse or billfold compartments or unfolding the billfold.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination purse and billfold, as characterized above, wherein the pass case comprises one or more transparent containers for the reception of identification cards and the like and a pocket for containing charge plates, said pocket having an opening at one end to permit ready removal of the charge plates.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one form of a combination purse and billfold having a pass case mounted thereon and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the combination purse and bi'llfold of FIG. 1, in a folded position;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the combination purse and billfold shown in FIG. 1, showing the billfold in folded position, but showing the pass case pulled out of the pocket;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, with parts broken away showing the details of the pass case.

The present invention is an improvement over my Patent No. 2,512,588, in that it provides a French type combination purse and billfold having an improved pass case detachably mounted thereon.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown, in FIGS. 1 and 6, inclusive one embodiment of the invention. As there shown a combination purse and billfold, indicated generally at 19, has a pull-out pass case 11 removably mounted within an outer pocket 12 formed in the outer wall of the billfold compartment adjacent one end thereof and positioned so that when the billfold is in its folded position, as shown in FIG. 2, the mouth of the pocket 12 is adjacent to and opens in the same direction as the mouths of the purse and billfold compartments of the combination purse and billfold.

The combination purse and billfold is substantially similiar in construction to the purse and bill fold shown in my aforesaid patent and comprises a purse portion indicated generally at 13 and having a mouth or access open- 3,120,253 Fatented Feb. 4, 1964 ing 14; and a billfold portion, indicated generally at 15, and having a mouth or access portion 16 and an elongated second access opening 17 provided with a slide fastener closure member 18.

The billfold is adapted to be folded upon itself along a central transverse fold line, as shown in FIG. 2, and maintained in this folded position by fastening means such as cooperating snap fastener elements, 19, 20, mounted on the outer surface of the inner side of the billfold, each adjacent one end thereof.

The purse portion includes a pair of opposed flexible wall members 21, 22, joined together throughout the major portion of their periphery to form a purse space or compartment 23. The unjoined peripheral portions of the members form the mouth or access opening 14 of the purse compartment. In the particular embodiment shown, the wall members 21, 22 are identical in size and are substantially rectangular in outline. They are preferably made of leather and their peripheral edges are preferably joined together by sewing.

The billfold portions include a pair of opposed flexible wall members 214, 25, joined together throughout the greater portion of their periphery to form a billfold space or compartment 26, the unjoined peripheral portions of the members forming the mouth or access opening 16 to the billfold compartment. In the particular embodiment shown, the wall members 24, 25 are identical in size and shape and are substantially rectangular in outline. They are extremely longer and slightly wider than the wall members 21, 22 which form the purse space. The wall members 2 and 25 are preferably made of cloth.

Means are provided for closing the mouths of the purse and billfold compartments and for attaching the two compartments together. In the particular embodiment shown, such means comprise three U-shaped frame members 27, 28, 29. The frame members are of the usual construction and have their corresponding legs pivotally connected together, as at 30 and 31. The frame member 27 is suitably secured, as by crimping, to the unjoined peripheral edge portion of the purse wall members 21; the frame member 28 is secured, as by crimping, to the free edge portion of the purse wall member 22 and to the free edge portion of the billfold member 24-; the frame member 2h is secured, as by crimping, to the free edge portion of the billfold wall member 2-5. The middle frame member 28 is provided with a fastener member 32 adapted to cooperate with co-fastener members 33, 34 carried by the frame members 27 and 29, respectively. The construction is such that the frame members 27 and 23 are pivoted at 3% and 31 to provide closure means for the billfold compartment, thereby permitting the mouth or access opening of both compartments to be opened or closed and locked in the closed position independently of each other.

To facilitate the insertion of bills into the billfold compartment, the outer billfold wall member 25 is provided with a longitudinal slot or opening 17, located preferably adjacent the upper edge and extending intermediate of the side edges, as shown in FIG. 1. The opening 17 may be provided with suitable closure means, such as a slide fastener 18. In addition, the opening or slot 17 may have a reinforcing border member 35, preferably made of leather.

In addition to the billfold compartment 25, a second billfold space or compartment 36 may be provided, if desired. The billfold space 36 is formed between the outer billfold member 25 and a wall member 37 coextensive in length with but narrower than the wall member 25. The wall member 37 is secured to the wall member 25 along its bottom and right hand side edges, as viewed in FIG. 1, and has its left hand edge secured to the frame member 29. a

A card space 38 may be provided, if desired, by securing a wall member 39 along its bottom, top and right hand edges, as viewed in FIG. 1, to the wall member 37; i

In order to hold the purse compartment in place against the billfold compartment and to form the outer pocket 12 in which the pass case 11 is mounted, an outer wall member it) is provided. The wall member 46 is of less length than, but otherwise is generally similar in size and shape to the billfold members 24, 25', and is secured .to these members along its top and bottom longitudinal edges. Preferably, and as shown in the drawings, the cover'wall member 46 is provided with flanges .1, 42 along its top and bottom edges, respectively. The top 'flange 41 is folded over the top edges of the wall members 24, 25 and the border member 35, and all of these members secured together, as by stitching, to form a hemmed edge. The bottom flange 42 is folded over the bottom edges of the wall members, 24, 25, 37 and 39 all of these members secured together, as by stitching, to form a hemmed edge. The left hand unattached edge portion of the cover wall member an, as viewed in FIG. 3, extends over the outer purse wall member 21 and is secured to the frame member 27, as by crimping. Thus, the cover wall member 4%, with the inner billfold member 24, form the pocket 12 in which the pass case 11 is mounted.

The pass case 11, as best seen in FIG. 6, comprises a carrier member 43 having a wall member 44 secured thereto by stitching, along its side and bottom edges, to form a charge plate compartment 45; On the opposite side of the carrier member 4-3 are hingedly attached one or more rectangular card containers 46. These containers 46 are hhigedly attached to the bottom end of the carrier member 43, as by means of a flexible hinge strap 47. The card containers are preferably made of a transparent plastic material and are open at their tops to receive identification cards, or the like. A flexible retainer strap 48 has one of its ends secured to the bottom edge of the carrier member 43 and the other of its ends secured to the inner billfold wall member 24 at a point spaced inwardly of the mouth of the pocket 12. The construction is such that the carrier member 43, with its charge plate pocket 45 and attached card containers 46, may be inserted in the pocket 12 with but a small ortion of the carrier member pro'ectin from the ocket to form a pull tab (see FIG. 2).

To expose the charge plate pocket 45, it is only necessary to grasp the pull tab on the member 4-3 and pull the member 43 a short distance out of the pocket 12 to permit A, removal of the charge plate. To expose the card containers 46, the member 43 is pulled completely out or" the pocket 12 and permitted to hang down, suspended by the tion, the pass case may readily be partially pulled out of its pocket 12 to provide access to the charge plate compartment 45, or ent rely pulled out of the pocket 12 to expose the card containers 46, without unfolding t1 e billfold and without danger of accidental opening of the purse or billfold compartments. In addition, due to the retaining strap 48, the pass case cannot become separated from the billfold and inadvertently dropped or lost.

From the foregoing, it readily will be seen that there has been provided a combination purse and billfold having a pass case provided with a pocket for containing charge plates mounted on the billfold in such position that the charge plates may be removed from this pocket without opening the purse or billfold compartments and Without unfolding the billfold.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to the particular modification thereof herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a generally rectangular billfold of the type having an end facing open pass case pocket between an outer and inner wall thereof, a pass case receivable in said pocket, said pass case including a carrier member of greater len th than the depth of the pocket and removably secured in the pocket by a flexible strap;

' the improvement comprising:

exposed when the carrier member is partially re- I moved from the pass case pocket.

UNITED STATES PATENTS References Cited in the file of this patent St. Thomas June 20, 1950 Hutchinson June 5, 1956 

